Washington, DC – (June 5, 2013) – On 23 April 2013, The Review of Faith & International Affairs, the quarterly journal of the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE), sponsored a panel discussion on “Religious Freedom and the ‘3 Ds’ of American National Power: Diplomacy, Development, Defense.” The event marked the launch of the Spring 2013 issue of the journal, and was the third in a 4-part series examining the place of religious freedom in the study and practice of foreign affairs.

The panel was moderated by Chris Seiple, President of IGE and founder of The Review of Faith & International Affairs. Panelists included:

    LIORA DANAN, Policy Officer in the State Department Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, and lead author of the CSIS report “Mixed Blessings: U.S. Government Engagement with Religion in Conflict-Prone Settings.
  • KENT HILL, Senior Vice President at World Vision and former USAID Administrator.
  • KENNETH SAMPSON, Senior Military Fellow, National Defense University.

Video of the panelists’ presentations and the q-and-a with the attendees is now available online – please click here.The panelists offered insightful retrospective analyses of how much progress has been made over the last ten years, and yet how much remains to be done across the many institutions of U.S. foreign policy and the universities that train U.S. foreign affairs leaders. The panel builds on IGE’s record as a thoughtful voice and educational leader on U.S. international religious freedom policy, and as a convener bringing government and civil society together in constructive dialogue about the complex issues.

All attendees received a complimentary copy of the spring issue, and also received a complimentary copy of a model syllabus on the journal themes. To download a copy of the syllabus please click here.

The panel was held at the Army-Navy Club (one from the White House), a venue that both substantively and symbolically underscores that the role of religion in public life is not just a matter of “soft power” but is also inextricably related to hard power; for good or ill, religion and realpolitik are always interrelated. By design, this invitation-only event brought governmental and grassroots leaders together. To borrow from the lingo of diplomacy, the event represented a creative intersection of “Track 1” and “Track 2″— i.e. “Track 1.5” engagement.

The series is funded in part through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The views expressed are those of the authors/speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Templeton Foundation.

About the Institute for Global Engagement – The Institute for Global Engagement works at the critical intersection of religion and global affairs, building sustainable environments for religious freedom worldwide. Through local partnerships, IGE works transparently to convene, connect, and build consensus among government, religious leaders, and scholars to ensure that people of all faiths and none have full freedom of conscience and can participate as equal citizens in public life. To learn more about IGE, please watch our four minute video.